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Japan 1983
The Japanese production of Cats by the Shiki Theatre Company has continuously played in the country across multiple locations since premiering in 1983. Cats was the first long-running stage show in Japan and is hugely popular within Japanese pop culture. Production Specifics The Japanese production was one of the first productions worldwide, opening two years after the original London production on which it is based. It has developed independently over the years without much influence from more western productions, leading to a strongly Japanese influenced production that still maintains a replica status. The production has gone through two overhauls that saw major revisions to the show, first in 1998 and then in 2018. One unique element of the Japanese production is its ensemble characters, which differ significantly not only in design but in role compared to most other productions of Cats. There is no Alonzo; his role is covered by two ensemble characters, Gilbert and Rumpus Cat. Gilbert is the cat who swings on the trapeze and his design is an interpretation of the Broadway Golden Alonzo costume. Rumpus Cat doubles as an ensemble character along with his usual role in "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles"; since the 1998 overhaul, his ensemble design has resembled that of the Black and White Alonzo costume. Admetus or Plato are not present in the production, while Macavity doubles as an ensemble character with a separate yellow costume design. For the 1997 to 1998 Sapporo run, the ensemble Macavity was cut and Tumblebrutus doubled as Macavity instead. The roles of the "twins", usually Coricopat and Tantomile, are instead Cassandra and Tumblebrutus in this production, with Tantomile wearing the smooth brown costume design normally identified as Cassandra. Cassandra and Tumblebrutus are featured as pair dancers throughout the show; however, they don't necessarily wear identical costumes and therefore are not always "twins", as is customary in most productions worldwide. There is no official word on their relationship, but their 2018 performers interpreted and played them as a couple instead of siblings.劇団四季キャッツ大阪「ファイナルオフステージトーク」イベントレポ, kindantheatre.com. 2018-04-23. The show includes both Sillabub and Jemima. Sillabub is the youngest kitten; she sings the "Moonlight" and "Daylight" refrains as well as "Memory" with Grizabella, and is the first cat to touch Grizabella (instead of Victoria). Jemima is not a kitten in this version; she is featured as one of the Gumbie Trio (with Jellylorum and Tantomile) and sings "Grizabella: The Glamour Cat" with Jellylorum (instead of Demeter and Bombalurina). Starting from the 1998 Fukuoka run, "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles" was cut from the show. It was added once again starting from the 2018 Tokyo run. For more details about the Japanese Score, see HERE. Original Creative Team *Director: Keita Asari (浅利慶太) *Production Assistant / Artistic Director: Yuji Sawada (沢田祐二) *Production Assistant / Production Supervisor: Chizuru Tsuruga (梶賀千鶴子) *Production Assistant / Operations: Shizuo Sugita (杉田静生) *Choreographer: Taku Yamada (山田 卓) *Lighting Design: Yuji Sawada (沢田祐二) *Music Director: Morihisa Shibuya (渋谷森久) *Deputy Music Director: Akira Aoyama (青山明) *Art Design: Satoshi Kanamori Memorial Design Studio (金森馨記念デザイン工房) *Assistant Music Director: Megumi Kamori (鎭守めぐみ), Keisuke Shimizu (清水恵介) *Stage Director: Keiji Hirase (平瀬慶次) *Sound Design: 実吉英一、金森正和、小幡亨、三浦桃枝 Crew Locations * Tokyo - 11/11/1983 - 10/11/1984 Cats Theater, Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo * Osaka - 20/03/1985 - 30/04/1986 Cats Theater, Nishi-Umeda, Osaka * Tokyo - 10/10/1986 - 31/05/1987 Cats Theater, Shinjuku, Tokyo * Nagoya - 23/11/1988 - 23/11/1989 Cats Theater, Nagoya, Aichi * Fukuoka - 20/04/1990 - 19/11/1990 Cats Theater, Momochihama, Fukuoka * Sapporo - 21/05/1991 - 26/04/1992 Cats Theater, Sapporo, Hokkaido * Osaka - 18/07/1992 - 23/09/1993 Cats Dome, Namba, Osaka * Tokyo - 04/01/1995 - 14/12/1996 Cats Theater, Shinagawa, Tokyo * Sapporo - 08/04/1997 - 08/03/1998 JR Cats Theater, Sapporo, Hokkaido * Fukuoka - 01/07/1998 - 09/05/1999 Fukuoka City Theater, Fukuoka * Nagoya - 20/07/1999 - 28/01/2001 Shin-Nagoya Musical Theater, Nagoya, Aichi * Osaka - 11/03/2001 - 13/01/2003 Osaka MBS Theater, Osaka * Shizuoka - 29/04/2003 - 09/07/2003 Shizuoka City Cultural Hall, Shizuoka * Hiroshima - 02/08/2003 - 24/11/2003 Hiroshima Postal Savings Hall, Hiroshima * Sendai - 19/12/2003 - 05/05/2004 Miyagi Prefectural Hall, Sendai * Tokyo - 11/11/2004 - 03/05/2009 Cats Theater, Gotanda, Tokyo * Yokohama - 11/11/2009 - 11/11/2012 Canon Cats Theater, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Hiroshima - 09/12/2012 - 24/03/2013 Hiroshima Ueno Gakuen Hall, Hiroshima * Sendai - 23/04/2013 - 20/08/2013 Tokyo Electron Hall Miyagi, Miyagi * Shizuoka - 15/09/2013 - 1/12/2013 Shizuoka City Cultural Hall, Shizuoka * Fukuoka - 20/04/2014 - 04/10/2014 Canal City Theater, Fukuoka * Sapporo - 18/01/2015 - 21/03/2016 Hokkaido Shiki Theater, Hokkaido * Osaka - 16/07/2016 - 06/05/2018 Osaka Shiki Theater, Osaka * Tokyo - 11/08/2018 - present Cats Theater, Ōimachi, Tokyo Milestones * 1,000th performance on 9 November 1986 at the Cats Theatre in Shinjuku, Tokyo * 2,000th performance on 13 October 1991, at the Cats Theatre in Sapporo * 3,000th performance on 3 October 1995, at the Cats Theatre in Shinagawa, Tokyo * 4,000th performance on 5 December 1998, at the Fukuoka City Theatre * 5,000th performance on 4 November 2001, at the Osaka MBS Theater * 6,000th performance on 8 July 2005, at the Cats Theater in Shinagawa, Tokyo * 7,000th performance on 27 June 2008, at the Cats Theater in Shinagawa, Tokyo * 8,000th performance on 28 October 2011, at the Canon Cats Theater in Yokohama * 9,000th performance on 22 August 2015, at the Hokkaido Shiki Theater * 10,000th performance on 12 March 2019 at the Cats Theater in Oimachi, Tokyo Cast Recordings * 1985 Cast Recording, released 21 April 1985 * 1989 Cast Recording, released 8 February 1989 * 2001 Cast Demo, released 2001 * 2019 Cast Recording, released 24 April 2019 Publications * All About Cats - the official book of the Japanese Production; published by Kobunsha on 22 August 2014 * Commemorative Magazine - 96 pages commemorating 10,000 performances in Japan, released in 2019 Shiki Production Book Cover.jpg|Official Book cover Cats Commemorative Magazine with 10000 performances in Japan (cover).jpg|Commemorative Magazine cover Cats Commemorative Magazine with 10000 performances in Japan (inside).jpg|A page from the Magazine Casts Further Japan Casts For further [[Japan 1983/Japan Casts|'Japan Casts' see here.]] Videos Gallery Costume Designs The Japanese production has a distinctive look influenced by Japanese culture, and has developed separate from other productions worldwide. This has led to unique characters and designs that can be hard to relate to the more familiar western names and designs. Grizabella Japan illus 2.png|Grizabella Old Deuteronomy Japan illus 2.png|Old Deuteronomy Asparagus Japan illus 2.png|Asparagus Bombalurina Japan illus 2.png|Bombalurina Carbucketty Japan illus 2.png|Carbucketty Cassandra Japan illus 2.png|Cassandra Coricopat Japan illus 2.png|Coricopat Demeter Japan illus 2.png|Demeter Gilbert Japan illus 2.png|Gilbert Jellylorum Japan illus 2.png|Jellylorum Jemima Japan illus 2.png|Jemima Jenny Japan illus 2.png|Jennyanydots Mistoffelees Japan illus 2.png|Mistoffelees Munkustrap Japan illus 2.png|Munkustrap Mungojerrie Japan illus 2.png|Mungojerrie Rumpleteazer Japan illus 2.png|Rumpleteazer Rumpus Cat Japan illus 2.png|Rumpus Cat Sillabub Japan illus 2.png|Sillabub Skimbleshanks Japan illus 2.png|Skimbleshanks Tantomile Japan illus 2.png|Tantomile Tugger Japan illus 2.png|Rum Tum Tugger Tumblebrutus Japan illus 2.png|Tumblebrutus Victoria Japan illus 2.png|Victoria Bustopher Japan illus 2.png|Bustopher Jones Growltiger Japan illus 2.png|Growltiger Griddlebone Japan illus 2.png|Griddlebone Macavity Japan illus 2.png|Macavity Cats Theatre Purpose-built Cats Theatres for the Japan production. Cats Theatre at the 1983 Tokyo premiere.jpg|Cats Theatre (Tokyo 1983-84) 2008 Tokyo Cats Theatre.jpg|Cats Theatre (Tokyo 2004-09) 2009 Yokohama Cats Theatre.jpg|Canon Cats Theatre (Yokohama 2009-12) 2019 Tokyo Cats Theatre 2.jpg|Cats Theater Oimachi (Tokyo 2018-2021) 2019 Tokyo Cats Theatre.jpg|Cats Theater Oimachi (Tokyo 2018-2021) Merchandise The Japanese production releases new merchandise every season that isn't available in any other production, including stuffed toys, character trading cards etc. 2019 Tokyo merch dolls.png|Stuffed toys CATS charm.png|Charms Book japan 2019.jpg|Book Original Cast - Tokyo 1983 J83 54 Grizabella.jpg|Grizabella Akiko Kuno J83 46 Gilbert.jpg|Gilbert Yoichi Kishikawa J83 49 Jennyanydots.jpg|Jennyanydots Yoshiko Hattori J83 45 Victoria.jpg|Victoria Mamiko Yaesawa Osaka 1985 Tokyo 1996 j96_tugger5.jpg|The Rum Tum Tugger j96_tumble2.jpg|Tumblebrutus and Cassandra (Mystic twins) Vic Jenny J96 3.jpg|Victoria Demeter 5 Tokyo 96.jpg|Demeter Sapporo 1997 Nagoya 2000 Demeter 1 Nagoya 2000.jpg J0004 24 Ghengis.jpg J0004 28 Siamese.jpg Osaka 2001 Griz Silla 2002 Osaka.jpg Japan 01 Jellylorum.jpg Japan Bustopher 01.jpg Tokyo 2006 Tantomile 06 Tokyo J0603 2.png Tugger 06 kittens Tokyo J0603.png Finale 06 Tokyo J0603 1.png Yokohama 2009 Cori 09 Yokohama 1.jpg Demeter Yokohama 09.jpg Yokohama Jemima.jpg Japan Vic Jelly.jpg Shizuoka 2013 Fukuoka 2014 Gilbert Japan book 2014 cropped.jpg Macavity Japan book 2014.jpg Rumpleteazer Japan book 2014 cropped.jpg Sapporo 2015 Misto Victoria Japan 070.jpg Mistoffelees Japan undated 01.jpg Japan Bustopher 01.jpg photo_010.jpg Osaka 2016 Griz Chiaki Kimura Osaka 2016.jpg|Grizabella Shiki Osaka Old Deut 2017.jpg|Old Deuteronomy Mungojerrie Rumpleteazer Shiki Osaka 2017.jpg|Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer Shiki Osaka Rum Tum Tugger 2018.jpg|Rum Tum Tugger Tokyo 2018 Japan Griz Press Image 18.jpg Japan Skimble Train Press Image 18.jpg Heaviside Layer Tokyo 2019.jpg Trivia * Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone saw the show in Osaka on 26 September 1985 * Queen frontman Freddie Mercury attended a performance in 1986 * Audience members are required to leave their belongings (including phones) in lockers in the theatre lobby before each performance. Hence bootlegs of this production are practically impossible to find. * From 7 March 2019 onwards, the Rinkai Railway Line in Tokyo changed its 13:14 train departure melody at the Oimachi Station to jingles of "Memory" (for the train to Osaki Station) and "Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat" (for the train to Shin-Kiba Station). The Oimachi station was chosen because the Cats Theatre is located nearby.Tokyo Coastal Highway Railway Oimachi Station departure melody change References External Links *Official Website **Characters **Creative Team **Cast *Online Merchandise Store Category:Productions Category:Article stubs